Data from: Trophic niche overlap decreases in related mesocarnivore species

In natural environments, competition between species is a crucial factor
for the survival or demise of populations. Therefore, understanding the
mechanisms that promote species coexistence is crucial in community and
evolutionary ecology. The phylogenetic limiting to similarity hypothesis
(PLSH) posits that closely related species should experience greater
competition due to niche conservatism, leading to higher overlap in
resource use. However, studies have shown mixed results regarding the
influence of phylogenetic distance and other abiotic and biotic factors on
interspecific competition. This study, which is based on an extensive
bibliographic review of more than 200 sources over nearly five decades,
explores the role of phylogenetic relatedness, body mass differences, and
environmental factors such as primary productivity, in shaping trophic
niche overlap among mesocarnivores across ten global biomes. Our results
suggest that phylogenetic distance and body mass differences are the most
significant predictors of trophic niche overlap, while environmental
factors like primary productivity also play a crucial role. These findings
highlight the complexity of species interactions, emphasizing that trophic
niche overlap is influenced by a combination of factors. This study
contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics governing species
coexistence and the assembly of ecological communities.